


Heart

by suki_dreams



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Coming of Age, F/M, Fantasy elements, Implied Romance, Modern Royalty, Slice of Life, kind of, noble oikawa, oikawa is not a king yet, original princess - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:35:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24315142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suki_dreams/pseuds/suki_dreams
Summary: Princess Amelia Rowan has always wanted to be free and experience life not as royalty, but as a girl who's just trying to find her place in the world. But as unexplainable occurrences start happening to her and something from the past reminds her of her duty, she starts to look forward to her new life as queen and everything that awaits her in the future.-[noble!oikawa tooru x original fem!princess reader]modern royalty au
Relationships: Oikawa Tooru/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 2





	Heart

**Author's Note:**

> i literally wrote this for my final english project senior year of high school and decided to revamp it with oikawa bc why not (he doesn't have green eyes but i imagined him to have them here and he was also the closest fit to the personality of the original character i wrote)
> 
> this is my first time writing for tooru! it might be a different representation of what he's like in the anime/manga, but i wanted to explore more about him and change him a TEENY BIT to mesh with the story's vibes but hopefully i didn't stray too far from who he is
> 
> this also has european vibes but we're just gonna pretend oikawa belongs to a noble family in asia and traveled to the mc's country lol
> 
> btw fic's kind of long (and completed), i edited it pero there might be some mistakes that i didnt see, dont flame me pls
> 
> oiks also doesn't appear until halfway through the story so pls bear with me lmao im done rambling, enjoy :))

“Amelia! You’re going to be late for your history class! Hurry along now, darling.”

Amelia vaguely heard her nanny, Margaret, calling out to her from outside her room. She sighed as she looked down at her drawer. She, in fact, did not hurry along at all, reaching her hand over the massive amounts of jewelry and makeup spilling across the desk. Grabbing a pair of small earrings, she fastened them onto her earlobes and readjusted the bracelets on her wrists. She then slid on a ring gifted to her from her grandmother.

For some reason, out of all of the possessions she had, Amelia cherished this ring the most. It was simple, made of the finest gold, and her name was etched on the outside, along with her birth date on the inside. The ring was the only memoir she had left of her grandmother, who died when she was just a child. Now, it sits on her finger everyday and she rarely takes it off. It may be out of comfort, or perhaps a motivation to be committed to something, to prove that she was capable of devoting herself to this habitual practice, no matter how small it may seem.

Amelia rose from her seat and walked over to her full-length mirror. The click of her heels were muffled by the decorated carpet, the sound sinking along with her shoes into the floor. She stopped just in front of the mirror to take a look at herself. Amelia smoothed down her collared long sleeve blouse, making sure the ruffles at the bottom were straight. She tugged down the sides of her knee length pencil skirt and adjusted the cuffs on her sleeves.

Taking a deep breath, she looked at her reflection and straightened up in order to look presentable. Amelia smiled, charm exuding from her expression. But it soon disappeared as she slumped down again, noticing how stiff and robotic her motions were. Nowadays, that was all she could bring herself to do, presenting a front to her family or anybody else who expected the best from her.

Lost in her thoughts, she snapped out of her daze when she heard Margaret calling again. “Amelia! Don’t make me come in there. You’re most definitely going to be late now.”

Amelia rolled her eyes as she walked back to her desk and grabbed her purse. Before leaving, her eyes sweeped the area one last time to make sure she wasn’t missing anything. When she finished, she turned on her heel to exit the bedroom, walking out of the door and almost running straight into Margaret. It took all of her balance to avoid stumbling backwards onto the carpeted floor.

“There you are! I was wondering what took you so long; never mind that. Steven is waiting for you in the car outside. Hopefully, you don’t wind up late to your class.” The older woman said, regarding the younger girl with slight amusement.

Amelia wished she could match her enthusiasm, but all she could muster up was a tight, awkward smile. “A princess is never late, Marge,” Amelia replied while walking past the nanny and starting down the stairs. “Everybody else is simply early.”

Margaret laughed at the cheap joke, and Amelia resisted the urge to roll her eyes again. Her nanny was a sweet lady, but Amelia could hardly stand the woman’s quirkiness and suspicious optimism. She still wondered how she spent her whole life with Margaret by her side, especially when her mother and father were gone attending to their responsibilities.

Amelia was soon at the bottom of the stairs and made her way to the entrance of the castle. No matter how old this place was, it had been a home to Amelia’s family for generations. While many royals take residence in more modern accommodations, the Rowans pride themselves in tradition; and so, the family had remained in its original home estate since the beginning of their rule. 

Amelia was genuinely surprised that the whole building hadn't fallen apart completely after the centuries. Then again, her father paid close attention to every meticulous renovation of the palace, which cropped up every few years or so.

 _At least, more attention than he pays his own family_ , she added darkly in her head.

As she walked outside of the castle’s wooden doors, Margaret rattled off Amelia’s schedule for the day. Not that it ever changed; a few school subjects in the morning, lunch break, ballet lessons, piano lessons, royal meetings, family dinner, and so on. Her life never changed; everything was laid out for her and she could do nothing about it. She was always reminded of the fact whenever her nanny told her of her schedule like a broken parrot, and it almost drove her mad. But she stayed quiet as she waited outside of the car, letting Margaret finish.

“...and the King and Queen are still in Spain, so I will prepare dinner again tonight. That will be around 19:00. Any questions?”

Amelia glanced at her driver, Steven, who held the car door open for her. He shrugged his shoulders like he could do anything about it. Amelia just shook her head, looking away and suppressing a sigh. Margaret beamed, ushering the girl into the car and closed the door. She waved while Amelia stared straight ahead, and Steven drove away from the palace.

The day passed by agonizingly slow. Amelia sat in her morning classes, so bored out of her mind that she started thinking about ways to count the hairs on her head. She spent lunchtime with her driver, as she always does. They were seated across from each other, eating in silence as she took a bite out of her perfectly made sandwich, crafted by none other than Margaret.

Amelia stumbled through ballet class and her fingers slipped on her teacher’s piano keys. Both of her instructors regarded her with slight pity, but of course they never offered any real criticism because of who she was. She wasn’t any good at the arts, so she couldn’t understand why her mother forced her to indulge in them. She argued that it was for Amelia to become a well-rounded princess and to learn the ways of the world, but Amelia knew that it was merely because her mother was trying to prove that her only child and daughter, the monarchy’s most prized possession, could do anything, _be_ anything. Amelia was the perfect young lady, who was ready to take on life with all its challenges.

None of that was true in the slightest. Not even one bit.

Amelia was far from perfect. As the daughter of the monarch, she was expected to be just so. Her whole image was built on expectations. Yet time after time again, she could never prove herself to her parents. The rest of the world may regard her as the young and beautiful Amelia Rowan without any flaws or imperfections, but anybody who truly knew her saw the other side: the real Amelia.

At her core, Amelia was a naive little girl who knew nothing about the world around her. Her parents had tried so hard to shape her into the ideal princess, but even they knew that she was incapable of living up to their dreams: to become the future ruler of their small country.

She wasn’t fit to rule. She wasn’t even fit to be a princess; how much more would she need to achieve to be a queen?

All of these thoughts rattled in her brain as she returned home. She retreated up to her room earlier to brood, per usual. She was supposed to be studying for her subjects, but she could care less about them. Amelia sat by her window sill, staring out into the vast space of land that her family owned, past the treeline of the distant forest and beyond.

What lay beyond? Amelia rarely set foot outside of the castle, save her daily routine and her attendance to special events for the royal family, but she had never seen the outer corners of her own country. To know the land, one must explore it, connect with it, and therefore connect with the people of the land as well. Amelia never spoke to others unless she was warranted to by the influence of her parents. She also hated nature and being outdoors in general; she would rather be cooped up in her own room, hidden from everyone and the world, just as she was now.

But even so, Amelia leaned her head against the window frame, wondering how much she hadn’t seen and how many people she had yet to meet. She wondered if she could ever do those things, because fate calls for her to be a distant queen, ruling from her isolated castle.

Who would want to be ruled by someone like that?

Amelia continued to mull over her wayward notions until she noticed something approaching from the distance. At first, it looked like a black dot splashed over the canvas of the scenery. But as the image drew closer, it morphed into a coherent shape of a giant bird. Amelia gasped; she had never seen a creature so large in real life.

With her limited knowledge of bird species, she knew that an animal of that size could not possibly exist in this world. She recognized it as a peacock, but its feathers were not the familiar color scheme of deep blues and forest greens that she remembered seeing in photographs. Its whole body was strikingly white, while its tail was donned by the finest jewelry she had ever laid her eyes upon.

Amelia drew in a sharp breath when the peacock stopped just in front of the garden underneath her bedroom window and raised its tail. The magnificent display of the bird’s jewels sparkled against the bleak darkness of the night and Amelia felt tears prick behind her eyes; she had no idea why she felt like crying. Her body was compelled to lean forward, her neck craning to reach out into the night air. She stopped herself when she realized what she was doing and jumped up, backing away from her window.

She blinked rapidly, her chest rising and falling quickly, and took a few moments to calm herself. When she felt her heart rate fall to a steady beat, Amelia rushed out of her room and down the winding stairs to catch the mysterious bird before it left.

The girl ran past her attendants, all of them exclaiming in surprise as she bumped into them while shouting back apologies. Margaret was the last person Amelia passed, and she heard the nanny scolding her down the corridor for running like a maniac. But Amelia paid no attention to her words; she could feel an unfamiliar pressure arising in her chest, one that doesn’t stem from anxiety or fear.

For once in her life, she felt _excitement._ True excitement, which a person feels when something unexpected happens. Until this point in her life, nothing unexpected ever happened to Amelia. Now that it did and it was something so magical, she wasn’t about to let it slip away from her hands so easily.

The castle doors were heavy, so Amelia used all of her strength to force them open. She was panting hard, but the adrenaline coursing through her veins made up for the exhaustion she should be feeling. As Amelia made her way to the garden, she strained her eyes to find the peacock. Save the lamps that were lit around the castle’s exterior, there was barely any light sufficient enough to make out an object unless she was right next to it. 

Amelia entered the spacious interior of the garden and walked past the rows of flowers and vegetables, searching for the bird. She thought her eyes deceived her when they caught a flash of white and a pair of beady eyes staring at her. But when she turned the corner, there was nothing there.

Amelia could feel her heart sinking in despair as she realized that the peacock had disappeared, perhaps forever. Her mind reeled as she stood in one place while her body turned in circles, in case the bird decided to appear again. But she knew that it was pointless; just as she felt her life about to take a turn for the better, her hopes were dashed by a simple illusion created by the follies of her brain.

Amelia fell to her knees and her head drooped to face the soil below her. Finally, the tears began to fall and wouldn’t stop, running down her cheeks in streams of glistening stars from her eyes.

Margaret and a few other maids found her there a few minutes later, her arms limp at her sides as her whole body racked with sobs. They all hushed her and dried her tears, but her face still felt wet after their efforts.

“What’s wrong, sweet pea? What happened?” Margaret asked in a soft voice.

“There was a bird,” Amelia managed to croak out past her cries. “And it left me.”

Margaret and the maids all looked at each other with concern, but soon focused all of their attention on Amelia when another bout of sobs escaped her mouth. They stood her up gently and brought her back inside the castle. She walked up the stairs with them and they laid her down on her bed, tucking her in for the night. Amelia felt a wave of exhaustion hit her as soon as she closed her eyes, and they were still stained with tears when she fell asleep.

~

A few days passed since the peacock incident and Amelia did not tell another soul what had happened. Margaret was quick to dismiss it; she thought it was just another episode of the princess’ odd ramblings. In her nanny’s eyes, Amelia was still young and prone to immature behavior, though they weren’t akin to how royalty should behave.

Her parents however, were less forgiving. Margaret, being the caretaker of the young princess, informed them of the occurrence and they were far from happy. When they returned from Spain, Amelia met her mother and father in her bedchamber. She sat across from her father while her mother stood next to the window, gazing out to look at something that no one else could see.

“Amelia, what were you thinking?” Her father started. Even when he spoke with a low voice, it boomed around the large room. He was a king through and through, and his authority was unmatched by anybody else.

She grimaced. He didn’t even greet her or ask her how she’s doing. Instead, he went straight to the point, accusing her of some wrongdoing that she had no intention of committing. Amelia didn’t respond and bit her tongue, afraid that she would say something rash and anger her father even more. She kept her head down facing her lap, and her hands were gripping so tightly together that her knuckles turned white. She could feel herself shaking as he went on.

“Running out in the dark dressed in your nightgown and rambling on about a giant bird appearing in front of your eyes. You must clear your mind immediately, Amelia. A princess does not have the time or capacity for silly daydreams.”

“Yes, father.”

“You must focus on your lessons. You must stop obsessing over insignificant things and brooding in your room alone. Yes, Margaret has seen you, don’t deny it. Amelia, everything that we are preparing for you is for your own good. Your success now will determine your future as queen. Do not become distracted, for your sake and for your family’s as well.”

“Yes, father.”

“Do you understand, young lady?”

Amelia glanced up, hearing her father’s voice grow in volume and turning sterner. He had probably sensed that she was responding absentmindedly to his statements. She brought her head up fully and nodded. He smiled in response, the wrinkles in his face growing deeper.

“There’s a good girl.” He said, satisfied.

Amelia looked down at her lap again, relaxing her hands and leaving them limp. She saw from her peripheral vision that her father stood up and her mother sat down in his place. Amelia looked up, curious at how her mother’s eyes sparkled at her face.

“Speaking of your future as queen,” Her mother said. Amelia noticed that the older woman could barely contain the elation in her voice. She frowned; that couldn’t be good.

“You remember how we throw an annual ball to celebrate the success of the monarchy?” Amelia nodded, still unsure of where her mother was going with this.

“Well, your father and I have invited the most respected lords of the state to the ball, along with their families. It will be a night to remember, full of camaraderie and such.” Her mother feigned a laugh, glancing at her father who returned a tight smile. 

Amelia raised her eyebrows. She knew that her mother was beating around the bush. Sure, the ball would be a fun party, but this was a political move if anything else.

What confused her was that her parents never bothered to tell her who they were inviting; they knew that she could care less, so why start now? Amelia sensed that there was a hidden motive behind these invitations and she wasn’t eager to find out.

Her mother saw her daughter’s expression and cleared her throat. “You will be obligated to meet these lords at the ball. But you must consider something else as you speak to each of them, Amelia. Your responsibility as queen is not something to be taken lightly, as you are well aware of. But it is also something that you cannot possibly take on alone.”

Amelia felt a pit growing in her stomach. She clenched her teeth and gripped the skirts of her dress tightly. She quickly understood where this was going, and it took all of her will to resist blowing up at this instant.

“Our law states that a queen must take on a husband by the time she is eighteen,” Her father chimed in. “She will not be allowed to rule if she fails to do so. Your mother and I have arranged this ball for you to meet eligible suitors. Afterwards, we will meet and discuss who is the most worthy to be our king and arrange further meetings with him.”

She wasn’t sure if her father had finished speaking, but she stood up in defiance anyways. “Are you both out of your mind?” Her parents stared at her, shocked at her outburst.

“ _Marriage_?” Amelia continued, fuming. “I’m 16, for Christ’s sake! Why would I care about marriage now? And even if I have to get married at 18, it’s ridiculous. Why can’t I rule by myself? What if I decide to find a husband after my coronation? This is beyond absurd.”

“Do you hear yourself right now, Amelia?” Her mother replied in a cold voice, standing up and looking her in the eyes to match her glare. “You must find a husband by the time you are 18 because it is the _law_. We cannot change it and you have no power to defy it. Your father had to find a wife when he was next in line, and your grandmother had to find a husband. Now, it is your turn and you have no right to make a fuss.”

Amelia felt her blood boil and her face flushed with anger. She could feel her body turning hot and she wouldn’t be surprised if there was steam rising from her skin.

“No right? No _right_? I have _every_ right.” She crossed the room and faced the door leading to the exit, crossing her arms. “God, for _years_ I’ve had to deal with your stupid rules and expectations. I’ve never been able to make my own decisions. Everything is planned and decided for me. I don’t even have the freedom to choose my own path. My fate is sealed and I’d be lying if I said if I was satisfied with it, because I’m not.”

“You’re not satisfied?” Her mother asked, bewildered. “How could you _not_ be satisfied? You have everything a girl could ask for. You have the life that everyone _dreams_ for. Stop acting this way and accept your fate. You will be married and you will be queen.”

Amelia whipped around, feeling her eyes start to well up with hot tears. Her arms came down to her side and her hands were balled into fists. She stared wildly back and forth between her parents and whispered the words she’d been wanting to scream her whole life.

“What if I don’t want to be queen?”

Silence. That was all that filled the air between the family. Amelia could feel it, the deafening absence of sound crushing her ears. Her father stared at her in disbelief and her mother’s eyes glistened.

“You ungrateful child.” Her mother sighed out in a low voice. “I don’t even know who you are.”

Amelia gulped, feeling a lump forming in her throat. “No, you don’t.”

Her mother gasped, clutching her chest. She stared at her for a few moments, trying to discern who this stranger in front of her was. Then, she left the room, wiping away the tears falling down her cheeks. Amelia was close to tears as well, avoiding her father’s eyes as he followed. But before he left, he said one last thing, the softness of his voice not matching the harshness behind his words..

“If you were ever our daughter, you _will_ go to the ball. You will respect our wishes and find a husband for when you are queen.”

And with that, he stalked out of the room. As soon as he did so, Amelia sauntered back to her bed, sinking down on it to bury her face in her hands. She wept quietly, feeling guilty of what she said to her parents, but also relieved. She had kept those emotions bottled up for years, and it was only a matter of time before they would explode out of her. In a way, her chest felt lighter and she felt freer, though she knew that was far from the truth.

First, she had to figure out how to deal with this marriage problem.

But before she could come up with a plan, she heard her window creak open. She looked up, blinking past the wetness on her lashes and rubbed her swollen eyes. There was nothing there, but she felt a bone-chilling gust of air wash over her as the wind entered her room. She heard a sigh echoing around the space and her heart clenched with fear, feeling a presence there with her. Then a voice spoke, the clarity of it almost knocking the girl off of her bed.

 _My dear Amelia_.

She turned her head, trying to find the location of the voice. But there was no source; it felt like it was reverberating around the walls of her room, and she couldn’t pinpoint an exact spot. The voice sounded familiar, though; Amelia was almost afraid to call out to it, but she knew that she wouldn’t get any answers from staying silent.

“Grandmother?” Her voice sounded smaller than she wanted it to. The other voice chuckled; Amelia blinked, and there in front of her window sill stood the silhouette of her grandmother, shadowed by the moonlight outside.

She gasped, shuffling her body as far as she could, her back pressing against the wood headboard. She kept blinking, unsure if what she was seeing was real or a fabrication of her mind. The apparition smiled down at her, arms at its side, and overall had a welcoming aura. The chill Amelia felt earlier was replaced by a warmth that she’d feel emanating from a fireplace, coming from that strange figure and enveloping over her like a blanket.

Amelia glanced up and down its body; she noticed that it was wearing the same clothes her grandmother had on when her family buried her. She looked back up suspiciously at the ghost’s face; could she even call it a ghost? When it didn’t answer her, she repeated her question again in a different manner.

“Are you really my grandmother?”

The apparition nodded.

“How do I know?” The ghost’s mouth didn’t move, but Amelia heard the same soothing voice echoing around her room.

 _You just have to trust me_.

Amelia furrowed her eyebrows, still cautious. She kept staring at the figure, unsure of what to say. A long silence stretched out between them until she realized that it must be here for a reason. She wasn’t sure if she could trust its motives or words, but she might as well ask some questions before it left.

“Why are you here?”

 _To remind you of your place in this world, as queen of this beloved country_.

Amelia rolled her eyes. “You sound like mother and father. What if I don’t want to become queen?”

_And why don’t you?_

She thought about this before giving a definite answer. There were a lot of reasons, but what was the single factor of why she resisted this life so much?

“Because of how I’m going to get there. I have to give up most, if not all of my freedoms. I’m being forced into marriage at a young age. And for my whole life, I’ve had so many obligations that I just can’t live up to.”

_Do you believe that you’re incapable of living up to them, or that you’re unwilling to live up to them?_

Amelia frowned. “Both, I guess.”

The apparition’s smile remained. _I was much like you at a young age. Headstrong. Stubborn. Unable to see the bigger picture. Mostly because I was young and naive, but all of that was still a part of my identity. I soon realized that for us, being truly free is to be able to give up some of your own freedom._

Amelia shook her head. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

_I know that seems like a paradox, but it’s true. Like you, I had to marry at 18 and become queen soon afterwards. There were many responsibilities that I had to live up to. But, through all my struggles, I gained so much more. I had a loving husband and soon, a loving family. I had the power and authority to do good for my country. And, I was able to help my own people._

The apparition left her windowsill, approaching Amelia’s bedside. She wanted to sink further into the sheets, but stayed rooted in her spot as the figure’s kind eyes stared down at her small body. Its voice still echoed in her head without its mouth moving a muscle. 

_As queen, I learned what my power meant. It’s hard for people like us to live our lives the way we want to. But, when we realize that in the end, our actions and our mistakes will impact others, we learn that we have so much influence in this world. We are not perfect, and though it may seem like your mother and father want you to be, they are only looking out for your wellbeing. Queens are regal and elegant, yes, but they also have heart._

The apparition finally stopped beside Amelia, reaching out to rest its hands over her cold ones, which were on her lap. She didn’t feel anything from the touch , but stared down at the contact in awe before looking up at the figure again.

_Do not forget your heart, Amelia. It’s what will save this world._

After those final words, the ghost vanished in front of Amelia’s eyes. Stumped, her body leaned down on her side onto the bed, her arm reaching out underneath her. She stared up at the ceiling while her fingers played with her grandmother’s ring and mulled over the apparition’s strange words. Amelia understood most of what it said, but there were still some points that she didn’t get.

How can you give up some of your freedom to be free? That still didn’t make any sense. But Amelia realized that she could not understand anything now if she was unwilling to give her parents’ wishes a chance. She begrudgingly acknowledged that she had to face the music at the upcoming ball, no matter how much she despised it. Amelia thought that she might as well be fair and talk to her suitors.

Besides, she didn’t _have_ to get married now. Even if she did find her Prince Charming, she still had some time to forge certain areas in her life for herself before her coronation.

And that was precisely what she planned to do.

~

The ball took a month to plan. Amelia remembered that it was around this time of year that the castle was so lively. It was one of the only times in the year that both of her parents were home, arranging and preparing the estate for a party.

Maids, workers, gardeners, and cooks walked around the castle, cleaning every inch that they could see. Her mother oversaw the outfits that were handmade for the family and the preparation for the food that would be served. Her father was on numerous calls with the invitees and controlled the seating arrangements. All other miscellaneous things, such as decorations, music, and announcers of the nobility were somehow handled by the both of them as well.

As for Amelia, the one thing she was excited about was the dress that she was going to wear. When the night of the ball arrived, she eagerly stepped into the most elegant ball gown she had ever worn in her life. It was white and adorned with small, blue icicle-like crystals that ran from her chest to halfway down her dress. The ombre color faded from a royal blue to a stark white. Icicle patterns were woven into the fabric to match the crystals, and Amelia wore beautiful pieces of jewelry to match the dress. Atop her head of long dark curls lay her tiara, and it was in these times that she felt like a true princess.

Amelia met with her parents outside of the palace gates. The Rowans were to be the first family announced since they were the hosts of the ball. They were waiting outside a different door of the ballroom, separate from everybody else, and their guests would be able to hear their entrance. Amelia’s maids helped gather the large amounts of fabric at the bottom of her dress when she walked on the ground outside. As she stopped in front of her parents, they gazed at her admiringly and she smiled back at them. The tensions between them had dissipated from their last encounter, but it was still slightly awkward as silence enveloped the air around them.

As they waited to be announced inside, Amelia looked around and settled her gaze on a green light in the distance. It was drawing closer to the castle and she squinted to make out its shape. The light looked like it was attached to a car of some sort. It must be some family who was running fashionably late. Amelia turned to her father and pointed to it.

“Father, who is that?” He looked down her finger and chuckled at the sight.

“Oh, that’ll be the Oikawas. They’ve journeyed far for the ball tonight. They’re always seen with a green light attached to their car, for reasons unknown. A very honorable and affluent family within Asia, however. I believe they have a son, close to your age.”

Amelia sighed, understanding where that notion was heading. But before her father could continue, the announcer called their family name.

“Welcome, lords and ladies, to the Annual Royal Ball. Tonight, we begin with the announcement of our most gracious hosts, the Rowan family. Welcome King Edward, Queen Scarlet, and Princess Amelia!”

The assembly entered the golden, opulent ballroom of the monarchy. The lights on the chandelier twinkled as they shined down on the pristine family. The king and queen flanked their only daughter, holding both her hands up as if escorting her to her own ball. Outside, Amelia could hear the attendants roar in delight. She noticed many of them pointing to her attire, exchanging several exclamations from the sight of it. Her innate timidity caused her to shrink a little, forgetting for a moment the countless lessons she had to go through to obtain proper posture. She felt her mother squeeze her hand reassuringly, smiling next to her.

“Straighten up, Amelia. This is your night.”

Amelia took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly, counting each step to focus and calm herself down. At the end of the room to her left, their thrones were situated under a tall, dome structure. The families would all enter the door opposite of those thrones and walk down the long hall as well. As she approached the thrones, she could feel prying eyes from outside set upon her, studying her every move and gesture. When she and her parents arrived, Amelia couldn’t be more relieved to sit down; that felt like the longest walk of her life.

Grimacing, she knew that if she reacted this way now, she would probably faint at her own coronation.

When they were seated, the announcer rambled off the rest of the nobles’ names as they entered. Amelia couldn’t believe how many people her father had invited; she felt like she could bow her neck downwards for all eternity. She sensed her mother eyeing her as each gentleman approached her, took her hand, and kissed it. There were so many germs on the back of her hand now; she couldn’t wait to wash it off later.

All of them said something to her, but she only smiled and nodded in response. She didn’t really hear any of their words. After the last gentleman greeted her, she glanced at her mother, who flashed her a knowing smile. Amelia, knowing she was being watched by the gentry, smiled back, squinting her eyes in contempt. 

None of these men interested Amelia and she was certain that she wouldn’t be wooed by any of them by the end of the night. She was determined to refuse every single one of them and throw it right back at her parents’ faces. But she remembered the words of her grandmother’s ghost and frowned, looking forward again.

She had a duty to her country and her family; but how could she put her mind to the task when her heart wasn’t in it?

The doors closed as all of the noble families watched the king rise, bowing their heads in respect. Amelia looked at him, seeing his pleasant expression reach out and wash over the entire audience. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the sound of the ballroom’s doors opening again and a parade of more lords and ladies entering the hall.

Amelia brought her head forward, as shocked as everyone around her. She merely stared at the group of nobles rushing towards them, who were no doubt fully aware that they were late. She glanced at her father again, who shared the same sympathy as her. But his expression morphed into one of delight as he outstretched his arms in welcome.

“Akio! It’s been ages!”

Amelia stared at the king, completely bewildered as the two men approached each other and hugged, slapping each other’s backs. The other man, who looked older than her father, was panting heavily from speed walking across the ballroom. They were smiling at each other, grins as wide as their faces could stretch, and completely ignored everyone around them as questioning murmurs and confused outbursts started to fill the room.

She looked away from the baffling sight, focusing on the other members of the party. An older woman, similar to her mother; the wife. Another woman, younger, standing behind the mother. And… as Amelia’s eyes glazed over the family, her attention was directed to a man, who was straightening his coat and standing slightly apart from the rest of the group.

Amelia couldn’t tell that much about him at first. He looked young, most likely older than her. He had medium length, light brown hair styled in a sweeping manner, framing his face as one side fanned out and equaled the other. The man also had sharp facial features, but there was something about him that was softer, gentler than his exterior. She couldn’t put her finger on what, exactly.

At this point, Amelia was observing the young man much too closely. He must have sensed her eyes and glanced up at her and her mother, looking at Amelia’s right before locking eyes with her. Amelia blinked, noting the brightness in his eyes from afar before looking down at her lap, feeling awkward. She hoped that he didn’t think that she was staring at him; like she said, she was just observing.

Amelia knew she couldn’t keep her head down for long, so she looked up again at him, and he was still looking at her. She didn’t miss the obvious smirk on his face, ghosting his lips in a manner that radiated charm. Amelia didn’t know why, but she could feel her cheeks starting to burn and she knew they were turning pink. She cursed at herself as she focused back on her father and the man next to him.

This night is not working out for her already.

Amelia saw the announcer rush towards the king, bowing. “I apologize, my king. I did not know there was another family arriving.”

Her father laughed heartily. “Not to worry. They’re just late, as usual,” He nudged the other man playfully while the other man laughed along. “I will do the honors myself. Ladies and gentleman, the Oikawas!”

The audience clapped politely as the oldest Oikawa, which Amelia presumed was the head of the family, looked around and waved. Interest made her perk up after hearing that name. _They own the car with the green light._

Amelia saw Oikawa gather his family around and situate them in a line. Her father sat down on his throne again and regarded the family with amusement. The family bowed deeply to the royals, and the older Oikawa ushered his son forward to introduce himself, as was custom for the event. Amelia felt her heart beating out of her chest as he approached, unable to take her eyes off of him. 

“King Edward, Queen Scarlet. I am Tōru Oikawa, son of Akio Oikawa and heir of the Oikawa household. I deeply appreciate Your Majesties invitation to the Annual Royal Ball, as well as your consideration of me as an eligible bachelor for your beautiful daughter, Amelia Rowan.”

Amelia caught her breath as he said her name. She noticed there was a slight accent to his voice, and how he had a foreign yet regal air to him. He was definitely skilled in the world around him, as well as the rest of his family as they regarded him with pride. The man glanced at her before returning his attention back to her parents. He bowed before saying his last greetings.

“I hope that Your Highnesses will continue to view me as a worthy suitor for the princess by the end of the night.” 

Amelia looked at her parents and saw them smiling down at him. She looked forward again and refused to acknowledge the young man until he stood in front of her. She gulped as she glanced up, seeing that he regarded her with those twinkling eyes that shone with a mischief hidden beneath his charming gaze.

Amelia found herself fighting the urge to shake herself out of his alluring presence. What was it about him that made her head spin and vision blurry, but at the same time, so enamored? This was either sorcery or he had the charms of the devil himself.

Either way, her heart was threatening to hammer itself out of her chest as he approached her slowly, one step at a time. He stopped at the edge of her dress, which was pooling out in front of her feet, and he bowed while she craned her neck downwards. He straightened back up and met her intense gaze.

Amelia bit her tongue to hide her expression of awe, feeling herself melting in his eyes. They were a bright green, brighter than the grass below her. Her auburn ones could never match that beauty. The young man extended his hand towards her and said something completely different from the other gentleman: he asked her a question.

“I noticed that Your Majesties prepared an orchestra tonight. Princess Amelia, will you give me the honor of having this first dance?”

Amelia’s mouth slightly parted at the young man’s boldness. She heard a collective gasp around the room and the low rumblings of discontent from the men around her. She felt her cheeks redden again as she glanced at her father, afraid of his reaction. But she still saw the same expression of amusement on his face as he motioned them to continue. She also saw her mother’s face and how she was struggling to contain her excitement.

Amelia looked back at the man in front of her and wordlessly took his hand, allowing him to guide her stiff body onto the ballroom floor. The music started; he bowed while she curtsied, and they started their dance.

The movement was lilting, a slow waltz that was easy to follow. Both man and woman mirrored each other before joining together. Amelia gasped softly as she felt his hand wrap around her waist and grab the small of her back. He pulled her body close enough to his that his lips could reach forward and touch her forehead. The man towered over Amelia and she felt that he was strong and steady as his hands cradled hers with ease. She craned her neck upwards, unable to take her eyes off of his coyish ones.

They stared at each other as Amelia followed his lead, gliding over the ballroom floor effortlessly. The rest of the audience soon joined them, though she could still feel many eyes on the two of them dancing. Somehow, she found the courage to speak to him first when the room started to fill with light chatter.

“You’re making all of the right moves tonight, Mr. Oikawa. I hardly know if any of it is appropriate.”

“Well if they’re right, then aren’t they as appropriate as they could ever be?” He replied, his voice dripping with the same charisma that his eyes held within them. “And call me Tōru. Formalities bore me.” 

“Really?” Amelia inquired, slightly dreading the effect his voice had over her. “They bore me too. So don’t bother calling me Princess, or Your Highness, or whatever else you can muster up. Amelia will do.”

“Perfect. I will probably refer to you formally around these snobs, and to your parents as well, but I’m glad that I can be relaxed in other cases.”

Amelia raised her eyebrows. “Did you just call my parents snobs?”

Tōru spun her around and dipped her backward before she was pulled up again, his face inches from hers. She inhaled a sharp breath, feeling the wind knock out of her lungs from his finesse before she tilted her head back to create space between them.

“Of course not,” Tōru replied matter-of-factly as they started dancing again. “I said that the rest of these people are snobs, save my parents and yours. If you can’t tell by our fathers’ friendship towards each other, I believe our families are much alike.”

Amelia glanced towards her parents’ thrones and indeed saw her father and Mr. Oikawa conversing as if they’ve known each other for years. Perhaps they do, and she just didn’t know about it until now. Amelia focused back to Tōru, who was staring at her intently, the playful look in his eyes changing into something else that she couldn’t quite discern.

She blushed again and focused her eyes down at his collar, scolding herself for being so easily affected by the man’s gaze alone.

They danced for a few more minutes and it seemed like the song would never end. But it finally did with a flourish, and the people who weren’t dancing clapped while the ladies and lords bowed and curtsied to one another. Amelia and Tōru looked at each other for a moment longer before a swarm of gentlemen approached her, the masses creating a chasm between her and the young man. Amelia greeted everyone politely, but her attention was still set on Tōru, who looked at her across the sea of bodies before retreating back to his family. 

The night passed by slowly, and the murmured sounds from the people soon grew into a rambunctious chorus of laughter and conversations. Many were drinking at this point, while more were struggling to maintain their etiquette, stumbling around the ballroom and yelling obnoxiously into the ears of the people next to them. 

Amelia watched them from her seat, entertained by the fact that their masks of respectability were deteriorating with each sip of wine. How funny to consider what makes people drop the facade and expose their true selves.

She remained on her throne, sipping a drink herself (her mother made sure it was nonalcoholic). She was finally happy to be alone. All of the bachelors who attended the party approached her in vain. Even with their efforts, she waved them away, simply disinterested in their conversation. Most of the people here were boring, save but one.

For the umpteenth time tonight, Amelia’s eyes peeked over at Tōru’s direction. He was speaking to a couple of lords and the few times she saw him, he mirrored her actions, every so often glancing up at her. His eyes still had the same glint to them, and the way they oozed with charisma irked and fascinated Amelia at the same time.

She rolled her eyes away and waited; he was a bachelor after all. At one point, he would have to approach her again too.

Tōru did just that, ascending the steps that led to her. He bowed to her before he spoke, outstretching his hand once again. “Will you join me in the garden, princess?”

Amelia tilted her head, slightly suspicious. “Surely you know I’ve turned down the rest of the gentlemen here. Why should I accept you, Mr. Oikawa?” She knew that they were using formalities in case anybody was eavesdropping. Which of course, people were. Tōru smiled in response, raising his voice just to spite everyone around them.

“I’ve already conversed with your father. He gives us his consent. As for your question, I know that you will accept me because this party is souring my mood. Nothing against your family’s preparations, but perhaps it has something to do with the people who were invited. No offense, boys.”

Tōru looked to the side and winked at the gentlemen standing near them, and they glared before sulking off towards the wine. Amelia rolled her eyes, pursing her lips together to fight back a smile.

“Well, that is an offer I can’t refuse.” She said, beaming. Amelia grabbed his hand as they made their way out of the castle and into the garden maze.

They were both laughing the entire way there, running past the guards stationed at every corner of the estate and into their own world. Tōru helped Amelia carry her dress as they found a place to sit down on a long, stone bench situated next to a wall of bushes.

Their fits of laughter died down eventually, and the two looked at each other, one with a wary expression and the other with admiring eyes. Amelia couldn’t keep the intensity of Tōru’s gaze yet again and looked down at her hands, playing with the ring on her finger. But she looked up again when she remembered a question she’d been wanting to ask since the beginning of the night.

“Why do you have a green light on your car?”

Tōru chuckled and rubbed his neck, as if he was unsure of what to say. “You know, I get that question a lot. And honestly, I don’t think there’s a definitive answer to it.”

“Then what’s your answer? Your opinion, I mean.”

Amelia shifted her body so that she could face Tōru. She was well aware that she was sitting unladylike at the moment, but her dress covered up her crossed legs, and nobody could see her slouched back. She had a feeling that Tōru didn’t really care what she looked like, anyway. Amelia continued to stare at him, eager. He took a few moments to gather his thoughts before proceeding again.

“My father would always tell my sister and I that in this day and age, green light means go, right?”

Tōru paused, face twisting as he cringed at the cheesy phrase, but all Amelia did was let out a soft laugh. A delighted expression washed over his face at her reaction and she laughed again, this time louder. He was more childish than he seemed to be, but something about that made Amelia admire his character. She gestured for him to continue and he nodded.

“It means something else too. The green light on our car doesn’t have to be there. In fact, it seems illogical for it to be stuck on top like an odd lantern. When I was younger, I used to be ashamed of it. I thought it looked stupid and it was bad for our family image. But I realized when I got older that my family didn’t care what anybody else thought of them.”

Tōru shifted to face Amelia more directly, and she couldn’t help but smile a little at the comfortable atmosphere settling between the two of them. She didn’t know why, but she felt like she could always be comfortable in his presence, a man that she had just met but strangely wanted to know more about. He talked while moving his hands around, gesturing in the air as Amelia’s eyes focused on his face.

“Yes, we are expected to hold a standard because of who we are, but that doesn’t mean we have to conform to it. You may think along with everybody else at the party that my family might be strange, but I’ve come to accept that this is who we are. We’re not strange at all; in fact, we’re just different from everybody else.”

“So is that what the green light is for? A symbol of your family?” Amelia asked.

“Yes and no. I kind of went off on a tangent, sorry.” Tōru gave a sheepish smile, to which Amelia just shook her head, the small grin remaining on her face. He looked at her with a wonder in his eyes that she couldn’t place and continued on. 

“To me, the green light is something to look forward to. When you see our car in the distance—I’m sure that’s why you’re asking about it, because you saw it earlier—You’d first think, ‘Why on earth is there a green light on a car?’”

Tōru made a funny gesture with his hands and expression, and Amelia giggled bashfully at his antics. He gave her a small smile and she looked away for a moment at the water fountains around them, taking in the scenery of the night sky before looking back at him. He still gazed at her with an expression she didn’t understand, and he looked like he wanted to say something else before clearing his throat.

“So yeah, you’d notice the light, but then you’d see that as it draws closer, it becomes clearer, more discernible. Most people would just be annoyed by the fact that there’s a green light attached to a car. But if you’re like me, you’d realize that the green light is kind of like something that happens which you never thought _could_ happen. Like the future.”

Amelia tilted her head, trying to catch up to Tōru’s words. He blinked at her, hands pausing in their gesturing, but continued.

“At first, you’re a little bit confused and perhaps worried that a green light is headed straight towards you. But then you relax when you realize what it is; it’s just a green light. Does that make any sense?”

She nodded slowly. “Yeah, I think so.”

Her voice came out more dejected than she wanted it to. Tōru noticed the change in tone as she sat facing forward again, away from him.

“Are you okay?” He asked her.

Amelia noticed the tone of his voice shift, no longer playful and light, but masked with concern. She still wasn’t able to look at him, gazing out into the flower bushes and hearing the splashing water from the fountains, each drip echoing within her ears.

“Yeah, no, I’m fine. Totally fine.”

She shrugged her shoulders as she processed the gravity of his words. She could connect everything to her life right now, and that scared her.

“You know, if something’s bothering you, you know you can—”

“It’s just…” Amelia couldn’t help to interrupt Tōru mid-sentence. But then she trailed off, unsure how to continue. He looked at her expectantly, and she took a deep breath before exhaling.

“I don’t know, everything you just said stuck with me. It’s hard to explain…”

Amelia turned the ring on her finger once before shifting her body to face Tōru again, this time scooting closer to his body. His eyes widened at her movement, but he stayed rooted in his spot as she looked into his bright green irises. She wanted him to know how she truly felt from the words that left her lips to what she could communicate with her eyes.

“Everything in my life is planned out. My days, my nights, and my future. This night was planned out so I could find a suitor. My marriage will be planned out and my coronation is set sometime after I turn 18.”

Amelia paused, tilting her head to look away for a moment. “It just feels like everything is out of my control. I know what’s headed toward me, but I don’t know if I’m ready for it. Similar to the green light, but different somehow.”

“Are you not ready for what’s ahead, or are you not able to accept it? Because it sounds to me like you’re in both places at the moment.” Tōru said.

Amelia looked back at him, noting his kind eyes and gentle features. She remembered what her grandmother said to her; or rather, what her ghost said.

_Do not forget your heart, Amelia. It’s what will save this world._

“I’m in the process of accepting it,” Amelia replied, a small smile forming again on her mouth. “My grandmother told me that queens are not only responsible for themselves, but for other people as well. I want to help my country and I want to be a good queen. But I’m afraid of losing what little freedom I have now, and I’m also afraid of making mistakes.”

She raised her hand to point between her and Tōru. “People like us can’t afford to make mistakes. More of us to risk, in fact.”

Tōru smiled ruefully, the mischievous glint returning in his eyes. “That’s unfortunately true. But we’re not perfect, Amelia. Nobody is, not even your father, the great and wise king. Don’t tell him I said that, though.”

Amelia giggled. Tōru smiled again, this time more happily, and he continued. “We also can’t control everything. We were born into this life and there are expectations that we have to live up to. There’s an enormous amount of pressure on us and at times, it seems unfair. But those are the cards we’re dealt with. I believe that we just have to make the most of it.”

Amelia nodded, feeling her chest getting lighter and lighter as she kept speaking with Tōru. She felt at peace with him, and his effortlessly charming yet calm demeanor was enough to level the raging storm inside her.

“I agree. Thank you Tōru, for speaking to me about this. I didn’t know how much I needed to get that out of me until now.”

“Of course,” Tōru stood up from his spot and started walking away. “And you know, if you ever need to talk about any of that marriage business, I’d be happy to help.”

Amelia laughed. “What makes you think _you’ll_ be involved with my marriage?”

Tōru turned around and winked. “Just a feeling.”

She shook her head, bemused as she got up and gathered her skirts, following him back inside the castle.

Amelia knew that there were many things that she had to settle for herself. But she also knew that she was not entirely alone.

Her mother and father, no matter how incessant they were, supported her to the end; she realized that now. Her new friend or… whoever he was to her, also had her back. Even her overbearing nanny always had the best intentions for Amelia, and truly cared about her.

All of the strange events of the past month also seem to have been signs, changes that occurred to wake her up and make her realize that it was time to move on and fulfill her destiny.

She was Amelia Rowan. She was the princess and future queen, and she wouldn’t let anything stand in her way of reaching her glory.

**Author's Note:**

> if u don't understand the symbols/references throughout the story, i had to include them as requirements for my project! u can definitely reach out to me if they don't make sense and i'll explain as best as i can lmao, i didn't want to take them out because they were an essential part of the story's development but see if u can spot them!
> 
> find me on [tumblr](https://shiningsuki.tumblr.com) to see my shenanigans
> 
> drink water n wash ur hands <33


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